Thursday, May 18, 2006

The Corn plant require very little care. The Corn plant has long leaves stemming from a wooden cane like stalk. The variegated leaves resemble corn foliage thus the name. The foliage using contains a yellow or crème center with dark green borders.

The Corn plant enjoys low light, making it perfect for corners and hallways. The Corn plant requires moderate watering. Water thoroughly once every 7 - 10 days or when the soil is dry to touch down 1 inch into the soil. The roots of the Corn plant are located close to the canes. It is also a very shallow root system, therefore when watering, place the water near the base of each cane to be sure the roots are able to absorb the water. If the leaves begin to drop or yellow, try watering the plant less frequently. You could be over watering it.

The Corn plant tends to be resistant to many of the pests that other houseplants encounter. If your Corn plant does become infected with bugs or mites, spraying a soapy mixture of water and dish soap over the plant should take care of the problem.

237 Comments:

Anonymous said...

The leaves on my corn plant have started yellowing, then turn brown. It became so bad that I clipped the entire growth from the trunk. Now the trunk is w/o and growth. Should I leave it in hopes that there will be new growth or is this plant finished with. I realized now that I overwatered it.

I have to do some checking on this. I have never clipped the entire growth off mine before, so I need to find out if new shoots will grow or not. I'm guessing they will since my Corn plant has new shoots, however I don't know the time frame. So please check back. As soon as I find out some information I'll post it.

I just ran to the local garden center. They told me that new shoots should grow on your Corn plant. However, they could not give me a timeframe. You can wait, however you'll have just a trunk for awhile depending on how long it takes for the new shoots to appear. Sorry I could not give a more definite answer. I myself have never encountered this issue before.

I am wondering what minimum environ temperature the corn plant requires. With winter here, I've been turning my furnace down to 60 at night and wondering if that will impact the plant. By the way, I had lost all of my corn plant leaves while moving it in a car (the top was out the moonroof) and she grew back beautifully in a few weeks. Thank you.

Most houseplant guides will say to keep the temperature between 65 and 80. I turn my heat down to 63 during the day when I'm gone and my Corn plant does fine. I would think you should be fine as well, but if your Corn plant starts to look unhealthy try turning the heat up a few degrees. Do a little trial and error. I live in Wisconsin so I know exactly how you feel when it comes to keeping your heating costs to a minimum. Let me know if how 60 works.

I just recent bought a houseplant and a few leaves are beginning to turn brown. It doesnt get direct sunlight but there are big windows in the room, and the temperature is generally between 67 and 73 degrees. It is about 4 feet long. Can you suggest how much water it should ideally get. I put 1 liter every 5-6 days and its painful to see it wilting.

First, it is a Corn Plant you purchased correct? If so, how close is the plant to the windows? My Corn Plant which I have to get a picture online yet, is about 10 feet from the window. I water about it with one liter or a quarter of a gallon once every week, week and a half.

Seeing as you just purchased the plant, it also may be just going through an adjustment period with its new environment.

As long as the temperatures stay above 60, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to take your Corn Plant outside. If it is in partial shade it should be fine as well. Just don't put it out in the full sun.

I have never taken mine outside, but I live in Wisconsin. The hassle for me to redecorate my interior for only 2 - 3 months so the plants could go outside was never worth it.

If you start to see the health of your plant slipping bring it back inside or try a different location.

I bought a corn plant and it seemed to be fine, about 3 weeks later I began to see small white what ressembles lint spots on the leaves and I am wondering if you have any idea what that is. Also, I did not know much about this type when I bought it and it has yellow leaves that are turning brown due to me putting it outside in direct light, should I cut it way back?

What type of water do you use? Corn Plants (Dracaena) in general are very sensitive to fluoride and water that has been treated. If you are using city water or water that goes through a water softener, there's a good chance that's the problem. Use distilled or untreated water. We have a well, so I use the outside water faucets since they are not run through the water softener.

The other possibility for the white spots is some type of insect or pest. Just to be safe, spray the plant with a soapy dishwater mixture one - two times a day for a week.

In terms of the brown leaves. You can trim the brown off. I have on mine. It looks a little funny, but it’s better than the brown. My Corn Plant seems to go into spells every once in awhile, where it looks gorgeous for months and then all of a sudden looks horrible for a few weeks. So then it gets trimmed.

similar to many of the other posts here, mine gets browning at the ends of the leaves on a regular basis. it's usually the lower leaves, but sometimes closer to new growth. I water it about once a week, but the soil always seems so dry, so I've increased watering--I read that they like the soil moist.

is the browning of the leaves somewhat expected, or is there something else I can do to limit or eliminate it?

I have a corn plant. I have two stalks in one container. The smaller stalk, all of the leaves have fallne off. The bigger stalk the two side leaves are gone. I am trying to save the top I just don't know what to do. I have tried not to over water. I even went as far as to purchased a plant light.

How much light does your Corn Plant receive? You shouldn't need a plant light, since it usually prefers lower light levels. The problem is most likely the over watering. Let the soil dry out and then begin watering again, less than you have been.

I would also give your Corn Plant some plant food, to give it a little boost back to health. I like the Miracle Gro Houseplant food.

I read above that if you think you corn plant might have insects or pest you should spray it with a soapy dishwater mixture...can you please elaborate on what exactly the mixture is made up of. One of my other plants, I believe have some type of pest and I dont want it to spread to my corn plant. Does this soapy dishwater mixture work with all plants? Also, a few of the leaves on my corn plant have yellow spots almost as if the green is fading (hope that makes sense)any advice would be great. Thanks

I had some very bad brown spots on the tips my corn plant's leaves and read that I should use clean scissors to cut off the brown spots just at the edge of the spots without harming the good part of the leaf. I did it and the plant is looking great with no bad effects. Also, one can us MILK on a soft rag or sponge to clean, feed and polish the leaves about once a month or more. The plant will look so good people will think it is artificial. Happy Gardening from Baton Rouge, La.

About the brown leaf tips that look burned. Cut them off and make a pointed shape so the leaf looks normal. You must spray a mist onto the plant's leaves to keep them healthy and the air humidified so they will thrive.

All the leaves on my corn plant died after moving into our new house. I cut the top off, dipped them in "root grow" and put them in water hoping they will form new roots...Is that possible with a corn plant?

i enjoyed reading all of the invaluable information that was being shared ,since this is the first time that i have ever used the internet to find out about my corn plant. i received the plant five years ago as a gift at my fathers funeral and did not know much about but i do love all of gods creations that have life and value and only need some of gods oter invaluable creations to care.

I just purchased a corn plant today because I thought it was gorgeous. I have never been able to keep plants alive, no matter what kind they are, so any advice on how to care for it is welcome. There is nothing wrong with this plant except for one brown leaf, do I need to cut this back? And I also think I read that I dont need to use the water from my faucet, is that true? Please let me know. Desperate to know, b/c I really am interested in starting to buy plants and take care of them!!!!!

You should use distilled or non-treated water. So if your faucet runs through a water softener like mine, you shouldn't water your plants with it. I use my outside water faucets since they don't go through the softener.

All the care information you need is listed above. Plus I always try my best to answer questions posted as comments. However I am not online all the time so do give me at least a day to answer. And comments are moderated due to spammers so if you post a comment and it doesn't show up right away, it's just waiting for my approval.

I have had my corn plant for almost 20 years and it has just flowered! It's very funny looking but I am not sure if I am to cut them off or just let it fall off on its own time?Any help on this would be great!

If you want you can cut the flower off. From what I've read the fragrance can be very strong. So you can either let it flower until the flowers begin to die and then cut them off, or cut them off right away. Whichever you prefer.

Hi There,I know absolutely nothing about plants, but managed to move a corn plant around university with me for 5 years. For whatever reason, the trunks started going almost mouldy-like and hallowing out, so I cut two branches off the plant and threw the rest of it out. I put them in water through the summer and very quickly (within a few weeks!!!) they started to grow roots. I then planted them in soil and now I've got two beautiful smalller plants that seem to be doing really well. So, if I can make a cutting from a branch work I'm pretty sure anyone can!

on a separate note, now that my two new plants (or old plants?) are doing so well, they seem to be growing gigantic long leaves (like 2 feet long) that get so heavy they snap the hard part in the middle that gives them their nice shape. Is there any way to encourage the plant to grow new smaller leaves and grow up rather than long gigantor leaves?

I had to move my corn plant and during the move it got wind damage and the leaves are all split legnth ways. Should I cut them off or just let it grow out? I thought of maybe cutting the leaves half way up to where the split ends. The leaves are now getting brown on the edges where they are split.Thanks so much!

I have found that if you cut the leaves, they still get the brown edges so I just let them grow as is. Then when there is new growth and it wouldn't make the plant look strange I cut the whole leaf off.

Okay - here's a really strange question for all you corn plant experts. I have one in my office that is about 3 feet high, and has been practically the same size for the last three years. A coworker got one last year and within a few weeks it bloomed and smelled great. About 6 months later, it bloomed again. I was horribly jealous and asked him about it, and he smiled and said he just talks to it. He got promoted out of my area a few weeks ago, and finally confessed to me that he would pour his coffee dregs into it every night when he went home. I figured, why not try this, so for about the last three weeks I have been giving my plant a half cup of (cold) coffee about every other day. Since then it has grown three large leaves with more curled up inside ready to come out. It is obviously very happy but has anyone else ever heard of this? I figure it is changing the PH balance of the soil or something - any thoughts?

It sounds like your Corn Plant is flowering!!! Congratulations! This does not happen often. My Corn Plant is over 6 years old and never flowered.

If you want you can cut the flower off. From what I've read the fragrance can be very strong. So you can either let it flower until the flowers begin to die and then cut them off, or cut them off right away. Whichever you prefer.

If you have any pictures of your Corn Plant flowering I could post on the website I'd love it!!

Well I have never tried it, but then again I don't drink coffee. However this seems to be a debate. Some say no you shouldn't, others swear by it. Below is a forum that people have provided their opinions.

Hello, I bought a corn plant about 4 years ago. It's the 1st plant I've ever owned. I've hardly taken care of it in these 4 years. Yesterday I thought it needed a new pot. It was in a 12" and when I pulled it out the entire pot was a root ball. I keep reading that they have small root systems. So I guess my question is will It do ok in it's new 20" pot? Also this pot is one thats designed to be filled at the bottom in it's resevior. I should treat it as a normal pot right? watering from the top? Thanks much.

You should be fine, especially if it was that root bound. Also, you still water it from the top. The reservoir just allows the water to sip out and then be sucked back up. It prevents the plants roots from sitting in water.

I just bought a corn plant 5 days ago I have not transfered it to what will be it permanent pot. Im concerned because several of the leaves have small circles with yellow around the outside of the circle and brown dry spots in the middle. What is this and how do i fix it. I have watered it 3 times since I got it because I bought it from IKEA and I wasnt sure how attentive they were to the plants. I realize now that it was probably too much water for it, may that be the reason for the circles?

The tag that came with my corn plant stated it liked direct sunlight so when it started to look a tad wilted indoors i placed it outside on the front stoop which gets tons of light for several hours. Well now the leaves appear burnt and from reading many posts online it appears it didnt like the direct sunlight and the leaves got scorched. I also think Ive overwatered it several times. Is there anything I can do to save my plant?! Its back inside in less sunlight and i plan on letting the soil dry out before watering it again and then water it less frequently. Will it be forgiving and come back to life? :(

Hi, i got my corn plant clipping earlier this year and had a few problems, first it outgrew it's pot ,which not knowing anything about it, i didn't know what was happening till it turned yellow, so for giggles i put in a bigger pot and now its doing fine, but it has brown tips on all its leaves and i was wondering if i should trim the brown tips off.

I have two corn plants that ahave been in one pot. I've had them aout 9 years. The taller plant is getting way too tall. The leaves are falling off at the bottom but sprouting new ones at the top and now it's brushing the ceiling. I'm wondering if I can just cut that side shoot all the way back to the trunk to start over. Will the leaves come back or will that kill theplant?

My mother-in-law started her corn plant 70 years ago and we have had so many cuttings from the original and have given many plantings to family and friends over the years. It is amazing. This year is the first year that it has flowered twice. We couldn't believe it. I also gave a cutting to a friend and she had a flower on hers. My mother-in-law also used milk to clean the leaves. She has since passed away but her corn plant lives on. Also people might not know about the sticky fluid the flower releases. Very messy, And the fragrance is quite strong. Enjoyed reading your comments.

I have a 11 yr old large, 5 "trunk" corn plant in a large pot that recently had to be trimmed for length (moved to lower ceiling home). In the bottom of the new pot I placed some packing peanuts for fear that I wouldn't be able to lift the huge potted plant and move it to the new home. Is it OK to have this at the base of the plant? Is it normal to go through a rough phase following replanting/trimming?

I have noticed a lot of new foliage growth coming from the bottom of my canes. The tops look awful, so can I trim the top of the canes off completely? If I do, do I need to treat the chopped off top with anything? I'm asking b/c the tops of the canes right now look almost as if there is a wax coating on them.

question??I have a corn plant thats maybe 3 years old. A year and a half ago, a new shoot started up from the soil. Didnt think that it was even attatched, but now its completely fused with the other trunk at the roots. The original trunk is close to 3 feet tall, and the new one is only about a foot tall. The tall one can barely grow any leaves and the small one is just about nothing but leaves, so it looks like its strangling the tall tree. How do I seperate the two and will both survive? they share about 2 inches of truck and all of the roots. thanks.

I have a new plant; came in an 8 in pot. I repotted in a 12 in pot, it wilted bad and so I repotted again in a 10 in pot. Longer leaves are still wilting; has new growth though. How do I keep the weeping longer leaves to a low and make the plant look healhier? I have the plant in a sun room with lots of windows and no a/c. However, the plant is not exposed to direct sunlight. I have cust some of the lower, (longer) leaves off to allow the new growth and less droopage. Help! I really would like this plant to thrive, but don't know how to help it!

I've had my corn plant for over 2 years. It has 2 stalks, one about half the length of the other. In the last year or so, the taller one has gotten the blahs...first the brown ends then entire brown leaves. Just now, as I was trimming, the two remaining "shoots" broke off. I then realized that the husk is peeling and it just feels depleted. The smaller stalk seems fine, husk intact with green leaves. It is still potted in the plastic tub that it came in. It doesn't really get much sun and I think grandma is overwatering. I'd very much like to salvage it. Will the tall stalk recover? Should I reproduce? Help! Thanks.

I recently inherited a corn plant in Colorado and have since moved to Seattle. I don't know much about the plant's previous care. The prior owner covered the soil with about an inch and a half of pebbles and then layered large flat stones over that; I assume to keep the soil moist. Now, the leaves look droopy and wilted but not yellow. I have removed as many of the pebbles as I can and plan to let the soil dry out before watering again. Is this advisable?

I have a corn plant that is 8 years old now and it has sentimental value since my Grandma gave it to me when she was still alive. It has two stalks and both stalks are doing very well. So well that one of them is very close to the ceiling and I'm not sure what to do when it gets too tall! Is it possible to separate the two stalks and create two plants from the one? It wouldn't be so bad if one half didn't make it, but I would be devastated if neither survived. I'm thinking of trying to move the tall guy to a shady spot outside. Any advice? Thanks!

I have a corn plant that is 15 years old, is doing beautifuly but it is so TALL it reaches the ceiling. I need to know how to seperate it and make another plant. Do you cut off and repot or do you need to root before repotting. I don't want to loose this plant but soon I will have to raise the roof!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL

Hello, I just bought a corn plant because it was on sale and we really wanted a plant in the household. As I'm reading through the websites I found out its poisonous. What does this mean, for example, can it kill you or something if accidentally eaten? Or do serious lung damage? What are the dangers of this plant? Please let me know because I take care of young children, thank you.

My mother-in-law's father stayed with her during the holidays last year. While he was ther he constantly turned the heat to well over 90 degrees. Since then her corn plant has been turning brown and leaves and stems and been dying off. She doesn't have much of a plant left and it used to touch her ceiling. What can she do help it bounce back?

If you can get your Corn plants to grow well with the Crotons they can be in the same pot. The only problem you may run into is that Crotons typically like high water levels and Corn Plants, not so high. But try it. One of the houseplants may adjust.

Was it near a heat source? All she can do is give it some tender loving care. Get the Corn Plant back on a normal watering and lighting schedule. Give it some houseplant food when you water. I like Miracle Gro. This should help give the plant extra nutrients.

Keep us posted. Thanks,drayas

P.S. Sorry everyone for the late responses. The blog has taken off quite well and sometimes I get backlogged on answering questions. I try my best to answer all. So if I don't answer yours, just post another comment and I'll see it again.

I LOVE this website and frequently read random blogs about different houseplants. Now i'm very thankful i have found this place to ask plant questions :) I got my corn plant back in the summer and it has since did beautiful things for my apartment. My kitty must think differently since she decided to pee in it! I discovered a wet place in the soil before i watered it and knew exactly what had happened! Is my corn plant going to die now? Is there anything i can do to keep it from becoming poisioned? Is there anything that you can do to keep cats from wanting to get into the soil? Thanks so much for the houseplant guidance :)

I really don't know what will keep your cats away from the plant. I'm a dog person! Can you place the plants in an area where the cats can't get at them? I also am not sure how the pee will affect them.

I just brought home a corn plant from the office that is in desperate need of help. There are three plants in a 12" pot and the leaves began to turn yellow a few weeks ago. The plant belongs to my boss and he's had it about 2 months. Anyway, about 5 days ago he put the plant outside thinking it needed more light (after reading this I realize the original spot he had it was probably just fine)Anyway we're in FL and the temps have been low lately high 30's at night to 60's and high 70's in the day.

It's home inside my house now. I was thinking it probably needs a bigger pot. Any suggestions what I should do next? I did just give it some of my coffee from this morning?thanksMichelle

My corn plant is 5 years old and has been doing terrific up until about one month ago. All of the leaves are turning yellow from the bottom up. I only water it about every 7-10 days. Yesterday I gave it some plant food. Should I cut off the yellow leaves? Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

We have a corn plant that we received l2 years ago when my father past away. The bottom leaves seem to turn brown and fall off as the plant grows taller but otherwise it is doing ok...but two days ago we noticed it has a stem of blooms in the top of the plant. This is the first time it has ever bloomed. Is it necessary to cut the bloom off...will it damage the plant. Someone said if the bloom the plant will die...if this true. Betty

Mine is almost 8 years old now I think and it hasn't bloomed. Other readers have discussed their Corn Plant blooming. Your plant will not die after it blooms. You can cut the flower off if you want. From what I've researched the fragrance of the flower can be very strong. So you may let it flower until the flowers begin to die and then cut them off, or cut them off right away. Whichever you prefer.

I have a corn plant I put in a different pot and now it looks as if it is dieing. Even the pot has a white powder on the out side and the soil does to. Do you think it could be infected? It still has some green leaves but the ends are brown.

Hello. I've had my corn plant for about 8 years and it's color and health has changed a lot during that time. Most recently though, it was left outside for about 6-8 hours in temps in the upper 20s. It looks horrible now and I fear it is dead. It has turned brown and the leaves are completely wilted and limp. The leaves can be plucked off easily from the stock, but they're not brittle. Two large stocks and one relatively new smaller stock are all potted togetherAs soon as we realized it was so cold outside, we brought it indoors in indirect light and shot it with some miracle grow. We've tried to keep the soil moist by watering about once per week. After 3 weeks it still looks bad, but not brittle. I don't know what to do. The plant is very sentimental to us so I don't know if it can be saved. if it is dead. What do you suggest?

I've had a corn plant for about 5 and 1/2 years that was given to me by my parents because they didn't want to move it overseas with them. I've had one heck of a time learning about this plant. I went with the I'll try different things and see how it reacts. Over the course of time that I've had it, I've seen it look bad, look good, and flower. It seems to be a very slow acting plant. Taking a long time to finalize new leaf growth and to shed old ones. I have a bamboo plant that is the complete opposite. It's metabolism is lightning compared. New growth on it completes in about a week and a half to two while the corn plant takes sometimes a month and a half for a new leaf to sprout and finally reach a horizontal angle with the floor. The most amazing thing about the flowering process for my plant was that when it flowered it happened while I was at work. I came home with no evidence that it was about to flower when I last really checked it out which is often since it's near the door and BANG my whole place smelled incredibly intense when I walked in the door and the corn plant had these big white flower buds coming out of the top of the stalks. They are heavy with sap that dripped all over the floor which was a little annoying. I water mine once a week. It does sit right in front of a north facing window, so it doesn't get directly hit with sunlight but it's a window that provides a decent amount of light if the blinds are open but not pulled up. Is that too much? I'm not sure. It doesn't seem to hurt it. It has continually growed with this kind of care. It's almost 8feet tall. It is an old plant, one that was in my parents house since I was a wee lad. I share the same problems some of the messagers are having with yellowing leaves. I notice that the leaves sag a little more than usual when it's thirsty and then bounce back in a day or little less after watering. Visiting this blog is the first time I have tried to seek out advice and info on how to care for it. After reading a bunch of these messages it seems that I have intuitively learned to care for it right. My only concern is that where it's at in my house is directly in front of a window that is the only place it can go since I'm in a one bedroom apartment and it takes up a good deal of space having three stalks with the shortest being 5ft tall and 8ft the tallest. I love this plant. It has sentimental value and yes it's 'moody' so to speak. Sometimes it just doesn't look good, but it never stays that way.

I live in Florida and have a corn plant in a corner in a bright room with many windows...many of the leaves on the plant are getting brown and dry... not just the tips, the entire leaf....I had to simply cut off one of the canes entire leaves, as well as many other leaves that were totally dry and brown....I do not overwater, in fact, I only water every two weeks or so...I do water it thoroughly though...No bugs, mites, etc.... what to do? The leaves that are on the plant after removing the brown one's are healthy and green! Thanks for any help available, I usually have a very green thumb, can't understand this!

HELP!!!I have 3 corn plant that vary in height. The tallest being 14', the other two are approximately 11' and 9' tall. Thay are generally very healthy. The problwm is that I am now moving to a new house that doesn't have 14' ceilings. I really do not wish to part with any of them as I've had them for over 20 years. Since no one I know has high ceilings either, I may have to crop them. My questions are: Does the plant sprout new growth from the stumped end? and, can the cropped top be salvaged? (i.e will it(or can it) sprout roots and be replanted?

Well, sorry to say, but pray. Lots! You can try cutting off the top of one of the stalks. They are supposed to grow new shoots when you do that. Now I have cut my tops of mine because I had smaller shoots coming out almost 4 months ago and I still don't have new shoots from where I cut.

Keep caring for it as normal. If the stalks are still sturdy, I would say there is still hope.

Sometimes when Corn plants receive too much or too little light, the stripes will disappear. Try adjusting the light slightly and see what happens. Then if nothing try the opposite, so if you gave it more light, now try less than usual.

I'm a seventh grader in Park City and I grew corn in school for a hydroponics lesson. I don't have any gardening tool or stuff like that so I have my corn in a cup under my desk lamp. My corn is only about 4 weeks old and is 6 inches tall. I water it once a day or every time the soil is dry, but lately the leave have been turning brown and bending. The desk lamp is about 2 inches away from the top of the plant. A differant plant started to grow in the cup this week but I don't know if that's the problem. What should I do?

I had a corn plant for many years in an office. I had no problem with the leaves turning yellow or brown even though it was very dry in the place. It bloomed after many years when it was about 10 feet high. The flowers are small, white and just plain stink! They have a really strong, putrid odor. I have one at home now and am having all sorts of problems with the leaves turning yellow and then brown. This happened when I turned the heat down to a constant 55 degrees in the room where it lives. As far as I can see, it simply cannot tolerate temps this low on a constant basis. It did ok in previous years when the daytime temp was 65 and nighttime was 55. Some suggestions..... keep a corn plant well watered; some sun indoors is OK; keep the room temperature 60 or above. If it starts blooming you probably will want to cut off the flowers unless you're really badly congested or have completely lost your sense of smell.

The main trunk on a corn plant that you buy is usually cut off at the top and does not grow beyond that point. Cutting the top forces the side shoots to sprout and this is where the growth takes place. The growth from these shoots will soon surpass the height of the cut off main stalk.

hey i just bought one to and i seen on this site that it is poisionous to pets and children, i have a 2 and 4 yr old what do di do? Is it only if they try to eat the plant or just being around it???????????????

Not only are these houseplants poisonous to animals such as cats and dogs, but also humans, so please keep your young children away from them. Many are poisonous only if ingested. Please, if you are worried your child or pets has been poisoned due to a houseplant, contact your local poison center immediately

Corn plants are only poisonous if eaten so as long as your pets and children don't bite on it, your good.

Having pebbles on the bottom of the pot helps the plant with drainage. It keeps the roots from sitting in water and soil being soggy. However, the plant will do well without pebbles on the bottom as well.

This is to comment to those who are wondering about taking cuts and rooting new plants. I bought a corn plant a few years ago. When I bought it, it had 3 stalks which did very well for about a year. Then Suddenly during one of its "Seasons" The two small stalks fell over and were completely dried up but one of them had green growth on it still. I took that part of the plant. Rooted it for about 1 month then replanted it in potting soil. It has been alive for about 3 years now and is still very green. It is very short compared to the other stalk that survived but it as many have said it takes a long for corn plants to grow taller. If you are going to try to root your tree make sure you take a piece that has a green stalk. It seams that once the stalk turns brown it doesn't really like to sit in the water and just turns to mush.

Hello, I just "inherited" a corn plant and the poor thing is a good 7-8ft tall and starting to grow in a contorted shape. It was never staked. The top is completely disfigured. I was wondering if you have any advice on what to do with it. I was tempted to completely cut the top off so that it is about 4ft tall and hope it grows back. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Hello, I bought my corn plant about 5 years ago when I moved into my first own place. I don't have a green thumb at all but have managed to keep this plant in good condition thru 3 moves. Now all of a sudden, my plant looks terrible! I've been told that I'm over watering it and that it has sunburn (I left it outside in direct sunlight for one day). I brought it in and have not watered it or given it any sunlight for over a week but it still seems to be getting worse. The leaves are yellow and brown and very limp. The soil seems to be moist not far below the surface. I'm afraid to cut the leaves because I would practically be cutting the whole thing for most of the leaves. After reading previous posts, I am going to try Miracle Gro houseplant food but should I cut first?!?! Please help! I don't want to lose my first plant!

Get your plant back to its normal lighting and watering. If you had kept it healthy up until this point, whatever you were providing it with worked. Get it back on a normal schedule before giving it some houseplant food. If the soil feels moist, I would let it be without water until it is more dry.

First off I want to compliment you on your obviously successful blogsite; it is awesome! The info and layout is great. My question may seem kind of silly but here it goes:I just found out tonight (going through your list of plants) that you can plant Lucky Bamboo. I have a few of them but one of the containers has six or seven shoots lined up in a row (with those twist tie things). When I plant it should I keep it as is or separate the shoots? Thank you,Jess

Hello drayas, I was wondering about a few things. I bought, what appeared to be a cron tree plant, (my mother had one when i was growing up and I was rather fond of it, having saved it's life accidentaly.) but after purchasing this plant I seen that it is called massangeanacane, is this the same thing? my second question is i know that you can cut them and produce another tree with the trimmings, but how do you go about cuttting them, something tells me they are tough buggers to cut. youir feed back would be highly appreciated if youi could send it via my email i would be even more delighted. thank you very much for your time and expertise :)

Hi there, I just have a few questions about the Corn Plant. Lastnight I found one in the garbage can of my apartment building, it was tossed on it's side with some soil missing. I took a look at it and it seemed fine except the previous owner might have been putting some kind of compost in it.. maybe. It had eggshells. So I put it outside on my balcony and lastnight it got cold. I re-potted it today and threw away the old soil. There were weird centipede looking things in the soil, what are they? How can I prevent them from coming back? I know you said dish soap and water might work, what ratio of water to soap should I use? How do I make the poor thing happy again?

My plant has solid green leaves. Where the corn plant has green & yellow leaves. What name is my plant? Also new growth is starting on the canes. Do I cut them off or let them grow on out? They are close to the base of the canes. HELP....

Just had a couple of quick questions... My wife and I recently wanted to try growing some plants in our place and today decided to buy a corn plant at IKEA. So I guess my question would be that where does this plant grow from to reach 10'+? This one that we bought is only 5" and looks to be saw cut at the top with two stalks growing from the sides. Is that where the serious growth comes from?? Thats where I am confused. The last thing I want is a 5" TREE!

I have had a corn plant on my patio with filtered light for over 15 years. It has never bloomed so I wonder if that is my problem because I have never had it indoors, also it is now over 5 feet tall and has reached the top of the patio, My question is can I trim the stem down and replant. Will it grow? Also can I get it to bloom after all these years? I trim the leaves all the time when they get too brown on the edges.

My corn plant is not doing very good. I have tried leaving it inside next to the window but the leaves are turning yellow and then brown. They are also wilting. I take them outside on my porch each day. I water them about once a week. When I repotted them, since they are new, and I changed the soil. Could this be what is causing them to die? Please help.

I have a question about most of the poisonous plants listed on this website. I went and got a corn plant, snake plant, peace lilly and others because of their abality to detoxify the air. I had no idea they were poisonous! I have kids and dogs. I know the kids won't EAT them and there high enough so the dogs won't but is this the only way you can get sick from them? I also have spider plants and a boston fern. Thanks for any help.

I have a corn plant I got from my office. It was inside and did fine there, but since I have taken it home, it's doing poorly. The leaves are yellowing and turning brown. It's in a room with very little light. I'm thinking of putting it outside, but I live in FL and it's summertime. The days get very hot. Is it ok to do that or will the heat kill it? If I leave it inside, what can I do to keep it alive? I don't have much room except for where it is.

HELP!!ANYONE!! I have had my corn plant for over 25 years. It has grown up with my children. I decided to repot it since it was so tall and the tips were turning brown. I repotted in Sunday and left it on my patio after watering it overnight. I live in Phoenix, AZ and the leaves were scorched by the sun an dnow, my plant appears to be dying and I'm just sick about it. Can someone help me with my "OTHER BABY"?? I feel like I killed her and I am miserable and it looks like she is too.HELP!!

My corn plant is putting on new shoots on it's own. I repotted mine in April and it has doubled it's size. With the new shoots the plant looks like is going to fall over. I water mine once a week and fertilize it once a month. I have it on my sun porch on the East side of the house.

My corn plant was given to me by my Aunt in the fall of 07. It was only 3 feet tall. I put it in my sun room. We have a propane heater on the porch for a little heat in the winter. I live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in SC. It gets about 35 degrees in the winter. In the summer I just turn on the ceiling fan and open the windows. It gets in the 90's in the summer. My corn plant is 8 feet tall now. It is 3 years old now and big and beautiful. Hope this helps someone.

If your kitty pees in your plant it will eventually start stinking because you can't change the soil like you do a litter box. My plants smelled so bad, I was going to repot them but when I got the soil out it was so bad that I washed the pots outs with soapy water and just bought new plants.

Sorry to double type the same comment. I'm new to this blogging and I'm still not sure I know what I'm doing, you can only post one if you like. Anyways, my mother-in-law takes a tiny bit of mayonnaise and shines the leaves of her plants and they look very nice. Use a paper towel to spread it over the leaves. I do stress tiny bit, or it becomes a mess.

I cut off some fresh growth from my corn plant (all green, no yellow or brown), and put it in a cup of water for three weeks. It grew a healthy root system. I procrastinated and didn't get it potted, and left it in the cup of water for probably about six weeks total. It was beautiful, green, and healthy the entire six weeks. I potted it in some organic potting mix, and about two months later, it is turning yellow and has brown spots and tips on most of the leaves. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. It seems they LOVE water, because it was healthy as could be with no soil and pure water, but now that it's in soil, it's looking bad. I water it about once a week, but maybe I should do more? Everything mentions that yellow = overwatering, but I don't think I'm doing that. Do they prefer any certain type of fertilizer, or soil pH? Thanks!

I have done everything in the world to my corn plant and I can not kill it. Everyone is worrying way too much. As a matter of fact I have mastered propogating these plants with little effort and wonderful results. My fix to the typical occassional browing of leaves is simply clip them off. The growth will continue to come from the middle, top and so eventually you may have a quite long stalk and not as attractive as when you purchsed it and it was a bit "stalkier". What I do at this point is simplmy cut the whole stalk off to about two inches or so above the soil level and if it is very long you can even take the cut off portion and cut it into as many pieces with at least two nodgules (rings around the stalk) and keeping sure the "up side" stays up and down, down; put down side in small amount of rooting hormone and press it back down into moist soil, either in a new pot or I like to surround the "mother" with its little pups. Within a month you will see them all start to have thier own leaves again and you will have a lovely pot of several of these at all different hieghts, how ever you choose to cut them, staggered in hieght. I live in AZ where it is very hot and I have had mine survive the hot summer outside (in the shade) with plenty of water just as well as inside. For water I use my city tap but either boil it once and allow it to cool or keep a bucket sitting open so any chlorine will disapate within a day or so and use this as needed. I do use an all purpose house plant food once monthly. So dont worry at all about the browning, simply cut it off and even if you ever cut the entire head off...cut the plant in two, stick it right back in to the soil and you will soon have twins! Do not be so scared of your houseplants that you are afraid to take care of them. All plants are different, use trial and error and a little common sense and you will soon have lovely plants as you learn each of thier personalities and truly enjoy them and feel a sense fo accomplishment when you see them responding to you.

I have a corn plant that is planted outside in the ground. At first it grew into a very spindly tree type plant. I let it grow without cutting the stalk. Finally it kept falling over so, I cut it in half. That was the best thing I ever did because it has blossomed 5 times and has become a beautiful accent to my yard.

My question is if I cut one of the new growths off the stalk, will I be able to root it in another pot so that it can be given as a gift?

i got two - what I think are - corn cane plants for my birthday two and a half months ago. I went to water them last week and noticed a couple dozen centipede like bugs in each pot. I freaked out and hauled them outside. I repoted them yesterday after hosing them off - not a speck of dirt left on them - and gave them fresh new potting soil. I checked on themthis morning and they still have these ugly nasty centipede thingies! What are they and how do I get rid of them! I hate to toss these plants - thre are 5 stalks in all and they suit my dining room perfectly. Please help!

Hi Estela I got the same problem wet centipede on my corn plant, i buy insect killer for indors plants and i spend $ 7.00 and it looks they go away for 3 weeks but they come back, I did the same thing you did and buy new soil and last week i see they are caming back and is not only on one plant there are in my palms to ... I got taller of spending money and i tookthem out side. I trait difrent things and it dirent work.. good luck

thank you for your service on this site!I have had corn plants for at least 8 years and killed a few in my 'experiments'- that was when I separated the canes and wanted to put them in other pots.( I followed the rules of traditional Japanese Gardening in that I wanted only Odd numbered groupings ), but my plants didn't care- they wanted to have their root systems undisturbed. So my advice after years of trying to separate is to NOT separate stalks that have grown in the same pot. The exeption: if the stalk has lost all it's growth and become dead: i.e. "hollowed out" and/or dry , bubbly skin on the leathery Cane... at that point I could remove it by first using a serrated knife to cut the roots near the stalk and twisting it free of the soil OR I could just let it stay as a dead stalk to fill space or support the other cane's growth.

I'm so glad I came upon this site. I noticed about 1 week ago that my corn plant was flowering. I've had it for a few years now and the plant was about 6 ft when I purchased it. I didn't realize that it could flower. The scent is really strong ( I wasn't sure where this smell was comming from until it over powered my whole house). I've decided to remove the flower but I would love to send a picture if needed.

please help,we bought a corn palm just after we got married and i think the world of it but most of it's leaves have all turned brown and yellow and looks like it's dying. i water it once every 2 weeks but have tried more and less watering but nothing seems to change.should i try cutting off all the brown leaves? please help lol

If your leaves started to get blotchy and yellowing and brown and dying(And you havent over watered or under fertilized) you can CUT off the entire stock at the site of the first leaf, if the plant is mature enough. We did that to 3 of our plants. The stalk on one was only about 12" and it has grown a new shoot right under where it was cut with MANY new leaves and looks healthy. This was 3 months ago. The other two are amazingly recovering too! Hope this helps.

My husband and I moved in May and we accidently left the plant in the moving truck while we unpacked and when we finally remmeber about it it seemed to be too late. It was all withered and black....it bouced back over the summer and now its all bare....the leaves have actually fallen off it. Is it dead or just "taking a break?"

I have a corn plant that is about 6-7 years old and it flowering for the 2 time. The first time was about three years ago and it only flowerd at the top of the plant. This time it has 2 and i am amazed it is beautiful. It has 1 at the top of the plant and 1 out of the middle. The first time the smell was alittle strong but this time the smell it extremely strong. Oh well, this plant is special to me,I just open the windows while it flowers. Has anyone every seen a plant 2 at the same time. Zachary, La

Hi,I have a corn plant that I got in Feb. when my dad passed away. I live in Mobile, AL. It has been on my screen porch since Feb. It was left out last night in low temps. The side that was closest to the screen now has dark green/brown looking droopy leaves. The other side still looks pretty decent. Will it survive? What are my options? I usually do not have a green thumb, but have been very careful with this plant because of its sentimental value. If there is anyway to save it, I need to know how!! Thanks for your time.

i just bought a corn plant from IKEA because I wanted a big plant for a big pot i had at home. it looked pretty benign compared to the other plants but it's poisonous!!!!! This totally freaked me out because I have cats and they are very curious so I just put sticky paws around the rim of the plant and I cut off all the growth they might be able to reach. I hope this is enough and if this is OK to do to a corn plant. I'd rather the plant die than my kitties! Also it was in my car for about two hours on the way home and I think it suffered and it's turning brown. The soil is slightly moist. I hope that it will recover and not interest my kitties!

I have a corn plant w/3 stalks, the tallest reaching 6ft. I've recently notice leaves on one of the shorter stalks are going limp and dull in color (tips are turning brown, leaves eventually yellow). I purchased plant 3 months ago, was in 10" pot, I replanted in 12" pot because original pot cracked (plastic). I water approx every 3plus weeks. My home is centrally heated and it does sometimes get a bit warm. I have been misting plant twice a day to keep humidity levels up (other 2 stalks seem to be doing well). I also noticed a new leaf growing on stalk in question is soft, limp and dull in color. Please help, thankyou!

I have a corn plant that was sent when my son passed. The leaves are starting to turn brown on the tips and spreading through the whole leaf. When I feel of the soil it is always very wet, I don't water it hardly ever. I really don't want to lose it.

My corn plant has flowered on 2 separate occasions. Once the smell was quite strong and the flowers big. The flower is VERY sticky and oozes this sticky liquid that will drop on the floor and get everything sticky. From now on, I will cut the flowers when they start. Really can be a mess. I appreciate all the good info I have been getting reading this site. Thanks, Pat

I have a wonderful corn plant that takes a beating under my brown thumb. I think it has been over watered and over sunned and am moving it out of the direct light as well as letting the soil dry out some. My problem is the brown on the leaves. Not the tips but the entire thing has a dark shading on each leaf. Is this something that will improve with my two changes?

Ok I bought a corn plant for like 130 and it was very beauitfull that it look fake! Well I've had it for about 2yrs and now I'm down to 2 canes it had 4 :) I was thinking of repotting and adding new soil and buying another corn plant and combine them to make my pot look full? Also I was told to place plastic Easter eggs at the bttm of the pot and then pour the soil over them??

Hi, my office just moved spaces and my boss let me take one a small corn plant that seems to be dying. The plant is about 3 feet tall with browing droopy leaves. The stalk is not upright, it leans toward the side. I was wondering if there was any way to save this dying plant. I saw you recommend to someone to try re-potting the plant and put it deeper into the dirt for more stability. If that is the best way to do this, how is that done?

my corn tree was left in a dark room with no water for about 5 months before i rescued it. i have been watering him 2 cups a day for the past week. the main stalks are brown and brittle, i stripped off all of the dead brown leaves, but there are a few green leaves on the very top still hanging on to life. is the stalk dead and should i cut off the live tops to replant? i want to rescue this plant as much as possible.

I just received a corn plant the tips and some of the leaves are turning brown. I am also having difficulty finding a suitable spot to put it. My home a very bright (though I live in Neww York). all corners are bright or near a raditor. Any suggestions????

I recently got a corn tree. The tips of the leaves started to turn brown. Some leaves are also turning brown, in the middle. My house is very bright. In each of the corners that are available to put the tree, there is either bright light (window) and or a raditor. Any suggestions on where I could put my tree?

My quick question is: Is there anything I can do to fatten up the trunk of my corn plant? Here's the long version: I inherited a corn plant from a prior tenant that grew so tall that it fell over and died. However, shoots planted themselves and a new plant has grown over the years. My question is how to fatten up the trunk. My trunk stays so thin that it cannot support the leaves. I have tied it to a small post, but it is now taller than the post. Is there anything I can do to fatten up the trunk on its own?

Our corn trees in our work office are slowly drying out, the leaves are turning yellow. We water them every week and we're not sure what can be the case. We were thinking of replanting the Corn tree into a bigger container. We figured the pot was to small for the roots to expand. would this help the tree? If so, what kind of soil should we use.

I inherited a corn plant when I moved into my new office. Someone clipped the ends off and the leaves except the new ones at the top. It looks terrible. The new leaves look fine but there are only 6 or so that look good. Should I do anything with the leaves that were clipped or with the plant eventually "outgrow" this bad haircut?

Drayas, I have a Cornstalk planet from when my father-in-law passed away 2 yrs ago. I did not know much about the plant at the time so when the leaves would get brown spots I would take the leaf off the plant. Now I have more stalk than leaves. How do I correct this? I also have read that you can cut off the top and re-root it. Is it that simple??? I just take a pair of sharp sicssors and cut the topp of and put it in water?? Thanks for your help.

I have recently taking decided to try and save my moms corn plant. from what i know shes has almost never watered it but for some reason its still alive but not pretty. Ive already started taking care of it and removed its dead leaves and have started to water it. I would like to know how much water should i give it? and how long should it take for new leafs to grow? Thanks Nathan

I recently inherited my own corn plant. I think it was traumatized by the move because the leaves started turning brown. A friend said to "cut them with scissors", so i did. Now, there are several leaves that are plsitting lengthwise. I am a self-proclaimed plant killer, so I have no idea what to do.

I purchased a corn plant two years ago. It did will for the entire first year. During the summer (N. Carolina) I took the plant outside on the covered porch. It really grew many leaves. I brought the plant back inside and it grew even more. Guest complimented me on the plant all the time. After a while the leaves started turning brown on the ends. I was told I was over watering it. Possibly, I was, but the plant has never recovered and it has been exactly one year. I only water the plant every 10 days, I have used a small amount of Miracle Gro balanced releasing fertilizer. The plant still looks horrible. For the past 3 weeks it has had new blossoms, but they are less than 2 inches and have not grown any in the past 3 weeks.

Also, the trunk has been looking a little wet just above the soil for at least 9 months. What is going on with my poor, poor plant? Should this plant be in a pot that has a drain hole in the bottom?

One more question, please....I just looked at my plant. I have 3 stalks branching from the top of the one trunk. One of the 3 stalks/branches looks healthy, but is not producing much, at all. The other 2 stalks/branches, are brown and have white cotton looking something around them and those they are soft and a little moist. What is going on?

I had leaf from a cornplant in a glass of water, it lived for alomost a year, never grew any roots, so i thought id try to put in dirt and it started to turn brown. So i put it back in water and a friend of mine told me get some root hormone and dip the end into that and put into dirt. I was just wondering if anyone has used root hormones and if they work.

yes i was wondering how long it takes for a corn plant to grow, i've had mine for about a year and it hardly has any new growth on it. it's not getting tall at all. i was wondering what to do and if im doing anything wrong. - also mine does not have verigated leaves, its all green.

I bought a corn plant about 7 months ago and it was pefectly fine until recently. This past week I have been finding small round worm on the soil and on the floor next to the plant. I have tried everything but they won't go away. Does anyone know why these worms are coming from the plant? And is there anything specific that gets rid of them?

I just noticed that my corn plant has these small dark green looking-like "balls" in the soil. Are these eggs? And I also just noticed there are these very small caterpillar looking like insects crawling in the soil as well. Is my plant infested? Help! What to do!

I have one of these plants and it has bgun to flower.Its a stem that flows downward and with small like flowers.Nothing has bloomed but yet I have 2 of these growing from the top of this palnt.Any ideas of what to do with them?

You folks are thinking about these plants a bit much. I had one outside for 3 years and it took a snow that lasted a couple days to kill the above ground part. The root system survived and the plant split in to two plants. The soil has not been amended with the exception of a free mixed mulch a local tree trimming service was giving away. I give it water from the hose and it thrives. Keep it simple.

I took a Corn Plant home from my office setting where it was only being watered every 7-10 days and in a controlles temperatured office, with artificial lighting, to a home. I repotted it, put in new soil and watered it. The leaves within a week or so have turned yellow and then to brown every quickly. We moved the plant to a different location, not watered it and drilled more holes in the pot. I dont know what else to do. I would look at this plant every day at work and with almost NO help it was flourishing, but in a home it is NOT. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.

I have 3 question regarding my corn plant. 1)My corn plant has 3 stalks. Each of them has some sort of 'black tar sealant' on each of the 3 stumps. What is this for? Should it be there?2)2 of the stalks have dried branches. How do I get these branches to sprout leaves?[I read something about 'cutting'??] 3)1 of the 3 stalks has the 'black tar' & a dried branch, plus it seems to be hollow. What should I do about him?

I am wondering what minimum environ temperature the corn plant requires. With winter here, I've been turning my furnace down to 60 at night and wondering if that will impact the plant. By the way, I had lost all of my corn plant leaves while moving it in a car (the top was out the moonroof) and she grew back beautifully in a few weeks. Thank you.

My mom has a cornplan that she was given when my grandpa past away. It was starting to brown on one out of the 3 stalks so we put it in a bigger pot and soil (it hasn't been moved to a new pot or soil ever, in the 6 years of having the plant) we also moved it out side in the shade and cut that stalk off but now the other two stalks are browning, HELP!

I moved recently and my cornplant was left outside in a pole barn for 3 days in 30 - 40 degree weather. Now the poor thing is back with me and has black leaves. I keep cutting them back but am afraid that it is going to completely die on me. :( I am paying close attention to lighting, watering, and temperature but do you have any more suggestions for me? The poor thing looks awful. Thank you!

My corn plant was an office-warming gift 18 years ago. I brought it home and put in in my dining room with a 10-foot ceiling. It has grown to the top and started bending over. Now it has bloomed for the first time. The scent is so overpowering in the evening that it makes my eyes water, gives me a headache, and makes me sneeze. I tried closing the door to the dining room, but it permeates the entrie house. I have had to take it outside. I don't know if it will survive because it is still kind of cool here, but it's either it or me! I guess I could cut off the flower, but the plant has outgrown the house anyway. I'm considereing cutting it down low and seeing if it will sprout again.

hi all! thanks so much for info on corn plants! i purchased mine at a garage sale, it was in desperate need of TLC, so i bargained with the guy and promised it a good home. i nursed it back to health and it looked great!! then i made the mistake of taking it outside and it got sunburned pretty badly. now its back in and i'm just waiting for it to look as great as it did before my little mistake.

just a tip to people having trouble with brown tips of leaves, and this goes for any plant, not just corn plants:if you have city water or water that goes through a softener, you'll want to distill it before watering plants. i have about 25 house plants and a nice sized garden, so i use several 5 gallon buckets. just fill the buckets with your tap water and let it sit for a few days before watering. my mom turned me on to this about 6 months ago and my plants have never looked better! happy gardening!!

Hi, I bought a pot of Draceana Fragran about 3 months ago and I absolutely love it. The pot consists of 3 stems at different heights. I have been watering it once a week, by the amount of 350ml of tap water mixed with a few drops of liquid fertilizer recommended by the florist. It seems to be flourishing happily until today. To my shock, I discovered the outer most leaves of the shortest stem started to get yellowish, and the root of the leaves become completely dark brown. Several of the leaves at the bottom even turn completely brown. The other 2 taller stems seem to be doing fine so far. I am very worry that the plant could be dying, or infected by some kind of disease. Could you advise what happened to the plant and what should I do to save it? Thank you.

Hi well heres my story. my boyfriend got a corn plant before he met me three years ago. her name is maggie. he lived in a basement apartment that didnt get much sun so he left her at a friends house that had cats and whatnot and im pretty sure she wasnt tooken care of properly. when i rescued her she was pretty dirty and looked in ill health. so i cleaned her up and brought her back so to speak. but she still looks a little "ill" shall we say. i trimed off the old dead follage and she deafinatly healthier but the soil looks almost ashy on top and she hasnt really grown any. her 2 stalks are about 16 inches tall and 9 inchs. my boyfriend put her in a 12 inch pot. its been 3 years since maggie has had any real pampering. will it hurt her if i prepot her in a 16 inch pot with new soil?

Hello, we've had our corn plant for 6 years now and I was shocked when I went to water it this morning that apparently overnight two huge flowering stalks shot out of the top of the plant. I didn't know this plant flowered. So, after reading evrything I understand that the smell from the flowers is overwhelming (in a bad way?) and that the plant is poisonous to our dog. She's never bothered it before, but the flowers are dropping sap on the floor. Could this be poisonous to her now? If I were to move it outside just until it's done flowering would that harm the plant? We've only ever had it inside. Thanks

I have the same problems like everyone else except that my babys' stem looks like they are beginning to dry rot. What is happening? and the leaves are falling off by the hand full - Please let me know if I should change the pot that it's been in since I got it (9 yrs)

I had no place to put my two inherited corn plants from my grandmother and left them near a heat source over the winter. Now they are both outside on my patio, which every plant seems to love. The problem is, neither corn plant has grown all winter. The leaves look droopy, however, not yellow nor burned. Will these plants bounce back?

Jill from AZ:My corn plant is growing big roots out of the bottom of it's original black container from the nursery (bought 3 years ago). The plant is about 6-7 feet tall. What do I do about these roots? does it need to be repotted? should i cut them off? they seem dried out. I don't have an outter pot for the plant right now. The black plastic container is 14" wide and 12" tall. Thanks.

Desperately looking for help. My corn plant is 9 feet tall and jamming up against the ceiling, stalk is bending. I was told I cant't cut it or it'll die. CAN I CUT MY PLANT? Second opinion please!!email answer to:sunbum122@verizon.net

Unfortunately, you will need to cut it. You can use a rooting agent on the end you cut and place it within soil to try and get the shoot to grow. I have 50/50 success with that. I cut 2 of my Corn plants off and did as I mentioned above. One continued growing, the other did not.

The trunk left after you cut, sometimes new shoots will spring out from there as well. Again, I've been 50% on those as well.